<br> You can ride a stationary bike at the gym or invest in a road bike to pedal around your neighborhood. If you don't have access to a neighborhood pool, you can look into joining the local gym or YMCA. Whether you prefer to get your workout from an instructor in a class, on a gym machine or outdoors, you can reap exercise's health benefits and have a little bit of fun at the same time. Many gyms offer excellent low-impact exercise classes for seniors, but staying fit doesn't require a gym. For a well-rounded exercise routine, try combining endurance exercises, like walking or swimming, with exercises that focus on the other categories. You just want to feel a gentle pull on your muscle, and focus on taking slow, deep breaths as you hold your stretch. You'll want to do 30 minutes of strength training for each muscle group twice a week, taking at least one day off in between working the same group. Walking is one of the best low-impact endurance exercises.<br>
<br> Swimming helps improve endurance and flexibility, and it's a very beneficial low-impact exercise for seniors. There is one type of exercise that makes you engage from the crown of your head to your littlest toe, and that is yoga. Our gentle style of yoga taught at the Center for Integrative & Lifestyle Medicine is one that everyone can practice. He combined laughing exercises like this with the stretching and mindful breathing that are hallmarks of more traditional yoga practice. The keys to a beneficial walking routine are the right pair of shoes and some good stretching after your walk. 4. Reach legs up and over your head until the front of your thighs are directly in front of your face. You want to make sure they don't pinch your toes in front or allow your heel to slip out in back. Unlike an upright bike, where you're bent over the handlebars, a recumbent bike allows you to sit back with the pedals and handlebars right in front of you. Stretching and body sculpting: These are fine as long as you don't do them flat on your back or overextend. This might sound like a lot of stretching, but if you do a few stretching exercises each day, you can hit all of these areas fairly quickly.<br>
<br> While plenty of jobs still require physical exertion -- the UPS person picks up a lot of heavy boxes in one day -- most use technology to do the heavy lifting. At one time, bouncing was considered a good stretching technique, but it's no longer advisable to bounce when you're stretching. The National Institute on Aging recommends regularly stretching your neck, shoulders, upper arms, upper body, chest, back, ankles, legs, hips and calves. For example, if you do upper-body exercises on a Monday, you'd want to wait until Wednesday at the earliest before doing upper body again. Tightness in the upper chest causes the shoulders to hunch and weakens these muscles. You can also get a targeted massage, like a deep tissue that will reduce muscle stress in a specific area, such as your shoulders or lower back. When you swim laps in the pool, you're simultaneously stretching and strengthening the muscles in your back, arms, legs and shoulders. You don't get any cardiac benefit, but stretching does help you maintain muscle tone and flexibility, which can come in handy during labor and delivery.<br>
<br> Step 2: Your hands can be flat onto the mat or, for some people, it feels more appropriate to let the hands come together, with the palms touching. Stay aware, use proper hand signals when turning, and don't be afraid to let drivers know you're there by ringing your bike's bell. There is the added option to lift a leg if the standard Wheel isn’t hard enough! It takes very little planning to get started, and it's easy enough on the joints that many seniors can keep up a walking routine until very late in life. Swimming: If you swam before you got pregnant, keep swimming now. We've got a list to get you started! Once you get the hang of things, you can take a 60- to 90-minute class at a yoga studio or practice at home. Yoga practice combines physical postures, breathing exercises, relaxation techniques, and meditation. Close your eyes and focus on your breath, allowing your body and mind to enter a state of deep relaxation. You'll want to do stretches that focus on muscles you're working during the rest of your routine, but some general stretches in the morning and evening can be especially beneficial for seniors, since our muscles tend to lose flexibility as we age.<br>
<br>Here's more information on Yoga poses check out our web site.<br>
